JPPUMA: Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan dan Sosial Politik UMA (Journal of Governance and Political Social UMA), 8 (1) (2020): 9-17, DOI: https://doi.org/10.31289/jppuma.v8i1.2886 JPPUMA: Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan dan Sosial Politik UMA (Journal of Governance and Political Social UMA) Available online http://ojs.uma.ac.id/index.php/jppuma

Power Relations in Developing Bussiness of Cattle Farm in the District of West Tasifeto, Belu Regency, ’s Province

Adeodata Mbiri1) & Kushandajani2) 1) Masters in Political Science, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia 2) Department of Politics and Government Science, Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia

Recieved: September 14, 2019; Accepted: February 21, 2020; Published: May 11, 2020

Abstract This research aims to analyze power relations between actors in developing local commodities through a cattle farm in the District of West Tasifeto, the Regency of Belu. The author applies descriptive qualitative research methods in disentangling power relations between actors who play their roles in drafting Belu’s Local Regulation (Peraturan Daerah/Perda) No. 6 of 2011. In collecting data, the author employs a qualitative approach, namely observation, and interviews with local farmers, Melus ethnic communities, Belu Regency’s government (Department of Farming Affairs), Local Businessmen, and secondary data from various documents. This study reveals that there are power relations among actors, namely local farmers, local authorities (Department of Farming Affairs, Belu Regency), and local businessmen, which are indicated by three indicators in drafting local regulation, selecting the farming area, and marketing the cattle products. Within these power relations, the actors influence each other at every moment and every connection. A strategy that is employed is not violence. Rather, it is through social relations and regulation system to promote various interests through politics of law, legal drafting, to enact a local regulation (Peraturan Daerah/Perda). Business people’s interests and political interests have been imposed in this process of extending local commodities, which compete with the local farmers’ interests that less impacted by the government’s project. Therefore, the expansion of local commodities through a cattle farm in West Tasifeto results in the complexity of power relations interplaying with each other.

Keywords: Power Relations, Business, Politics.

How to cite: Mbiri, A & Kushandajani (2020), Power Relations in Developing Bussiness of Cattle Farm in the District of West Tasifeto, Belu Regency, Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara Province, JPPUMA: Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan dan Sosial Politik UMA (Journal of Governance and Political Social UMA), 8 (1): 9-17.

*Corresponding author: ISSN 2549-1660 (Print) E-mail: [email protected] ISSN 2550-1305 (Online)

9 Adeodata Mbiri & Kushandajani, Power Relations in Developing Bussiness of Cattle Farm in the District of

INTRODUCTION The Indonesian government attempts Power is a complicated strategic to accelerate self-sufficiency in livestock, model in a certain society formed by which concentrate in 18 provinces. One of separated micro powers. Power is not which is the Province of East Nusa possessed by a certain subject but there is Tenggara, precisely in the Regency of Belu. potential in everyone as a strategy. Thus, it The regency holds a local commodity from is omnipresent eventually (Neno, 2015). a cattle farm. Belu has great potential in Power works along with different the farming sector, as shown in the potentials. It presents due to the difference following table. in which subjects develop relationships . and networks. Power emerges in it and Table 2 manifests in many forms, such as social Quantity of cattle in Belu Regency per District relations, regulations, and social No District Year institutions. According to Foucault, power 2014 2015 2016 1 Raimanuk 7,362 7,465 8,913 strategy does not work through 2 Tasifeto barat 8,025 8,137 8,948 oppression, but normalization (control) 3 Kakuluk mesak 5,373 5,549 8,188 and regulation (order) (Neno, 2015). 4 Nanaet duabesi 4,235 4294 4,738 Power can be understood as anything 5 Kota 1,186 1,202 1,063 that preserves the relations. It creates a 6 Atambua barat 1,352 1,271 1,374 chain or system, which could separate one 7 Atambua 384 389 774 or groups from another system of power selatan 8 Tasifeto timur 7,456 7,569 13,124 relations. Simply, power is a strategy that 9 Raihat 5,462 5,538 5,104 causes power relations. Power is 10 Lasiolat 5,210 5,283 4,141 constantly produced in every moment and 11 Lamaknen 5,518 5,596 6,433 every social relation. The omnipresence of 12 Lamaknen 4,921 4,990 5,792 power is not due to controlling everything, selatan rather because it comes from everywhere Sum 56,49 57,383 68,59 (Kamahi, 2017). 3 2 Sources: Central Agency of Statistics (BPS) Belu Foucault (1990) states that there are Regency 2017 five propositions on what he means about power. First, power is not anything that The above table illustrates the could be obtained, possessed and given as increase in the population of cattle. Belu an object that can be held or extinct. also encourages the program for self- Rather, it is driven from anywhere by sufficiency by developing farm area. The dynamic relations. Second, power relation farming region in Belu is called as the area is not a structural and hierarchical of sonis laloran. It is made officially relationship that presupposes the two- following local regulation, Perda, No. 6 of sides relation of the master and the 2011 on spatial planning of Belu Regency overpowered. Third, power comes from 2011-2031. In Chapter five, article 29 below, which presupposes that there is no point 1 (d) specifies a strategic economic distinction in the binary opposition model zone. Sonis Laloran is set as a strategic area because power includes both sides. Fourth, because of its roles in promoting the the power relation is intentional and non- economic sector and encouraging the subjective. Fifth, where there is power, prosperity of local farmers. there is also resistance. Also, resistance Farming area or sonis laloran is does not exist outside the power relation. located in the District of West Tasifeto, Those who are within the power relation, precisely on the traditional land (tanah there is no way out of it. adat, ulayat) from the ethnic group of Melus. The chief of the group (Ketua Suku)

10 JPPUMA: Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan dan Sosial Politik UMA (Journal of Governance and Political Social UMA), 8(1) (2020): 9-17. has lent in 2007 the land to the local In the dynamics of scrambling for a benefit government of Belu Regency to be utilized, from farming, who have taken advantage which was commenced in 2013. of its development? According to Foucault, power has been conceived as various relations spreading like a network. The power has to be looked at by understanding how it works or in what way it is operated. It has to be conceived as a thing that preserves the power relations, which form a chain or system of power. It can also divide a system from the other system of power relations. In sum, power is a strategy that results in power relations (Mudhoffir, 2013). Power is a concept connected to the behavior. Where action can build a relation, so does the relation exist and work constantly (Kamahi, 2017). Therefore, the work of a government’s Figure 1 Cattle Farming area (Sosis Laloran) program is determined by the political Source: Department of Farming Affairs, Belu Regency aspect that is related to the political and

social reality at the local level. It has been already 15 years but this The above explanation indicates that zone has not been developed well as a power is spreading everywhere, including farming area (Belebau, 2018). It becomes in the expansion of local commodities obvious as the department's staff working through cattle farming in West Tasifeto. in the district of Tasifeto Barat reveal that There have been power relations among the development of this area has not yet local farmers and authorities (department been improved properly as planned of farming affairs). The relations among although the Department of Farming actors have been generated at every Affairs has allocated local budget from the moment. They have been configured by local administration (Elan, 2018). strategy playing with social, political The development of the sonis laloran connections, such as in the arena of legal area has been expected to encourage local drafting or legislative system producing cattle farming to improve the prosperity of regulation. the people, local farmers, and generally the Power is operating through social local economy of Belu Regency. However, relations and regulation system, and not the implementation has not achieved yet by oppression. The making of sonis laloran ambition. Can the development of the epitomizes the process in which social and farming area in the West Tasifeto improve political relations have been operating in the economy of the local farmers and other enacting Local Regulation No. 6 of 2011. It related stakeholders? is like selecting the area for farming, which The decision to choose West Tasifeto the local community of ethnic Melus and as a cattle farming area has been the local government have been involved politicized and resulted in dynamics in power relations. Simply put, how do the configured by political elites, civil society, relations work? government (department of farming affairs), businessmen. In this context, the area has been a strategic economic object.

11 Adeodata Mbiri & Kushandajani, Power Relations in Developing Bussiness of Cattle Farm in the District of

RESEARCH METHOD by groups or institutions, such as the Local This research concentrates on the Parliament, the Regent, the Department of District of West Tasifeto, Belu Regency, Farming Affairs, and the local farmers, in which focuses on the power relations in which they promote and impose their attempts to develop cattle farm. This study interests. applies descriptive-qualitative methods by observation in the area of farming or sonis Relasi Kuasa laloran in the Village of Bakustulama. The interview has been conducted to some interviewees from the Department of Farming Affairs, local farmer groups, chief of Melus ethnic group who has authority over traditional land. The author looks also at some documents that can support the Figure 2. Power Relation in Legal Drafting of Perda investigation, such as relevant publication, No 6 of 2011. Source: combined by the author. government reports and local regulations connected to sonis laloran. The above figure indicates the power Data have been analyzed with the relations among actors connected with linear and hierarchical approach, or political hierarchy and structural. Started bottom-up, which is interconnected with with the announcement of the regional each other (Creswell, 2014). The subject of development plan, conveyed by the this research consists of local farmers, Department of Farming Affairs (led by government agencies, traditional leaders, Yeremias Kali) to both the Development local political leaders, and businessmen Planning Board (BAPPEDA) (led by drg. from enterprises. Valentinus Pareira) and the Regent of Belu 2004-2014 Joachim Lopez. The concern of RESULT AND DISCUSSION the department is to pursue its vision of Legislation process of local regulation self-sufficiency and quality livestock No. 6 of 2011 through optimization in utilizing local In the decentralized political system resources to encourage beef-cattle in Indonesia, the regional government has marketing in Belu Regency. been given autonomy to organize its local The decline of the marketing of farm governance—politics, bureaucracy and products is related to two basic elements, financial. With this authority, the regional namely local farmers as producers, which government organizes local administration at the same time acting as the local seller and create public policy, either to improve as well as exporter. It is, therefore, public services or to encourage public developing the farming area is considered participation in development. as a solution. The secretary of the Regional Parliament (DPRD) and the Department of Farming Affairs Amandus government can draft a bill for local Linci explicates that: regulation (Darmo, 2019). The local “When the pasture field is narrowing regulation, Perda, No. 6 of 2011 on spatial down, the availability of feed becomes planning of Belu Regency 2011-2031 less and less, and the quality of beef regulates strategic area for the economy, in cattle is decreasing drastically and so is which sonis laloran as large as 500 its marketing.” hectares have been entitled to become a cattle farming area (Kawasan Usaha Peternakan). The legislation process has been configured by power relations played

12 JPPUMA: Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan dan Sosial Politik UMA (Journal of Governance and Political Social UMA), 8(1) (2020): 9-17. office in the second term as regent, Lopez appointed Valentinus as the head of BAPPEDA of Belu Regency. Their relationship is going further in the political arena. After his reign in two terms, Joachim supported Valentinus and Cyprianus Temu (with an acronym VANSMU NKRI) from National Democratic Party in their candidacy to run in the local election for Belu Regent 2015-2020. Valentinus conveys that: “Joachim invokes people of Belu to solidify themselves to support these candidates because they are suitable and harmonious candidates in developing Belu Regency soon”. Figure 3. Vision and Mission of Belu Regency The development planning of the Rencana pembangunan2009-2014 kawasan farming area sonis laloran has been approved through the proposal and the Sonis laloran has been accepted by promotion in the bureaucratic institution, BAPPEDA and the Regent of Belu due to which is highly political. Then, this plan considered to be in line with the vision and has been brought to the legislation process mission of the regent in empowering the in local parliament to legislate the Local economy of the people through the Regulation No. 6 of 2011 on Spatial economic community’s work (KUBE) Planning of the Region of Belu Regency relying on their potential and relevant 2011-2013 on 2 August 2011. In the technology. In this context, this farming plenary meeting of the parliament, the area is regarded as a way to encourage the point on establishing the farming area West Tasifeto community’s economy based sonis laloran by the economic on its resources as farmers. consideration has been put in Chapter 5, The power relations that affect article 29 paragraph 1. policymaking is in the process of This plan has been supported by the developing the farming area, sonis laloran. legislator Cyprianus Temu, a member of The West Tasifeto has been chosen as a Commission III Local Parliament 2009- farming area due to political consideration. 2014 from PKPB (Partai Karya Peduli The district is the place of origin of Belu’s Bangsa). His constituency is from the Regent Joachim Lopez, which is also the District of West Tasifeto, which has been basis of his constituents in the local approved to become farming area sonis election. The decision to choose the district laloran. Implicitly, the interests behind shows political interests as part of the Sipri Temu are to accommodate the negotiation with the voters or supporters, aspiration and demand from the which at the same time promote economic constituents to develop their area. Besides, development. the relationship between Sipri Temu and The head of BAPPEDA drg. Valentinus Joachim is quite close in the political arena. is a close person to Joachim Lopez who has Sipri Temu is the head of a political party a position in bureaucracy. Lopez himself that nominates Joachim in the local has a carrier background in bureaucracy, election for the regent of Belu in the source as the former head of BAPPEDA in 1999 od 2004-2014. Likewise, Joachim and the Secretary of Local Administration promoted Cyprianus as the candidate of in 2001-2003. In 2010, when he took an Deputy Regent 2015-2020.

13 Adeodata Mbiri & Kushandajani, Power Relations in Developing Bussiness of Cattle Farm in the District of

The development of this farming area of land increase and it is also followed by has also been supported by the spokesman interests and problems around it. of the Local Parliament (in term 2009- 2014) Simon Guido Seran SH from Yeremias Alexander Lau (Head of the (Head of Melus Democratic Party, in the constituency of Dept. of ethnic group) Belu I. The district of his constituency is Farming Affairs including the area of sonis laloran. This shows the interests of the actor as a member of the local parliament in Handover of accommodating his constituents’ Land aspirations and realizing it through a development project. Also, Simon Guido Figure 3. Power relations in the selection of Seran is taking a position in the the location for cattle farming area sonis laloran Democratic Party that nominated Joachim sources: combined by the author. Lopez as the Regent of Belu. The party is led by Willybrodus Lay, who is the owner The farming area sonis laloran is not of one of a company in the sonis laloran free from tensions and power relations cattle-farming area. since long ago. It is traditional land, which After passing through crucial debate is inherited as a communal asset from in imposing various interests, this point generation to generation and preserved by was approved and agreed in the plenary the chief of the community. The land of the meeting of the local parliament. When farming arena is possessed by Melus Joachim stepped down from office in 2014 ethnic group led by Alexander Lau. based on the Decree of Minister of Home The members of Melus ethnic group Affairs, Wellem Foni had been appointed scrambled for the land. They took pieces of to take the office based on the Decree of it and have sold it secretly for personal Minister of Home Affairs No. 131.53-1.338 interests, which then, stimulate internal in 2014, on 27 March 2014. conflict in the community. The traditional leader is needed to solve the conflict and to The Selection of Location for Farming take any decision for resolution. The Area leader leads the negotiation involving The land has been interesting since community members. long ago as valuable resources. It is often Concomitantly with the internal related to power and territoriality, in dispute of Melus ethnic over land tenure, which the power of a king is often the government’s plan in the development indicated by the wide range of territory of farming area takes an effect. At this under his rule. A noble for instance has point, the head of the Department of been said as wealthy if he owns a large Farming Affairs Yeremias approached the land. Land often becomes a target, main traditional leader (Kepala Suku) directly resource, for power and wealth of a regime by visiting him at home. There Yeremias or dynasty. offered the plan to develop a farming area In the modern age, the land has high in the district of West Tasifeto. economic values and becomes an asset Mikhael, the chief of management of having values for investment, which tend farming area sonis laloran states that: to increase constantly. The development “This ‘range’ has taken its form from the going continuously in the frame of the former head of department Mr. Yerem, global market demands physical who thought that the pasture field has infrastructures that need land. The values been narrowing, so there has to be a special zone in Belu, which is distinctive for the farming area and cannot be

14 JPPUMA: Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan dan Sosial Politik UMA (Journal of Governance and Political Social UMA), 8(1) (2020): 9-17. switched to another function. Therefore, conducted by personal or group to achieve he came here to approach the local their goals by producing and exchanging community and especially, to meet Dato products with other people (Darmanto, Lau. 2016). Cartel is a practice that controls the “Range ini terbentuk dari pemikiran price by a certain corporation to mantan Kepala Dinas Pak Yerem, dia minimalize competition (Kusuma, 2013). berpikir bahwa, padang pengembala di Belu ini semakin sempit, harus ada satu Marketing here should be viewed as kawasan di Belu ini yang khusus untuk relations among business actors as buyers ternak dan tidak bisa di alihkan untuk of cattle products and the farmers as apa saja, maka pendekatan dengan sellers. In selling the product in Belu masyarakat, datanglah ke sini bertemu Regency, the key actor is Bernadus Lay or dengan ama dato lau.” known as called ‘old boss’, who is an Yeremias’ approach to the local exporter. He initiated the business since traditional leader has been a proper the 1970s and exported beef cow to Java, strategy because only the leader who has a Sumatra and neighboring countries such as privileged right to take any decision to Malaysia and the other neighbors. maintain and preserve the communal land. With the interconnected interests He is the chief of the ethnic Melus among businessmen, local regulation, and Alexander Lau. the selection of location up to the This process illustrates the formation marketing stage, is aimed at surviving of power relations, in which a strategy has family business. Issues in supporting the been employed to create a relationship to development of Sonis Laloran farming area get access to the land for development. The are to increase the low quality of a change of land use, from traditional land to product. The decline of the quality of farm farming area, has potentially provided an products is due to less availability of the opportunity for the ethnic group’s pasture field, which directly affects the members to take advantage of. It also business of exporter. Willy Lay acts as a attracts the government’s concerns to buyer of the beef cow from the local implement their projects in the area. Some farmers and sells it to outside their region. visits of Minister of State Own Company This illustrates the interconnection in the (BUMN) Dahlan Iskan and State Oil and legislation process of local regulation that Natural Gas Mining Company (Pertamina) establishes the pasture field in the Village indicate these interests. of Bakustulama as large as 500 hectares. The transfer of authority in land use The development of the field has in 2010 has been conducted formally and been approved in the local regulation No 6 legalized by the handover the right over of 2011 in chapter 5 article 29. It is also the land of sonis laloran area, from Melus mentioned in the transfer of land of sonis community led by Alexander Lau to laloran. The establishment of the pasture Yeremias. This process is witnessed by the field here results in preserving the field, Village Head Naekasa Manek Mikael and which directly ensures the continuation of the Head of the West Tasifeto District husbandry and the availability of the Ferdinandus Bone Lau, and the other 13 product. Further, it can guarantee the witnesses. supply for export business. As a businessman, Willy Lay create The Last Step: Marketing relationships with the sources of power Power relation is not merely in the around him, then, influence the other legislation process and the selection of power networks in the legislation process. location, sonis laloran. They even expand Further, with the social capital and the to the relationships in selling the farming power relations, he uses them to his product. Marketing is a social activity 15 Adeodata Mbiri & Kushandajani, Power Relations in Developing Bussiness of Cattle Farm in the District of candidacy in the local election, which he cases, the farmers who need money championed. Once having greater power, quickly for their children’s tuition fee, have he expands his networks to the national negotiated for a lower price. level to promote his aspiration and idea to Third, selling to the exporter, such as the Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla. business run by Willy Lay, in which he This shows how power relations are buys a lot of cows from the local farmers to omnipresent and constantly working. be exported. In many cases he looked for a With the existence of the farming commodity in villages, approaching area, the local community got attention farmers who want to sell their cattle. from the local authorities through projects Usually, the farmers sell their cattle shortly such as grants for beef cows, farming before the beginning of the new term of equipment, training for feed making and schools, such as in December and January, reproduction of cattle, training for as well as June and July. Preparing children developing technology for farming and the to enter a new semester at school needs health of animals. After these all processes the money that demands the parents to of development and nourishment, the sell the cattle. Many more cases in which farming products are ready to market. The they sell their cattle to the ethnic Chinese farmers sell them to the local buyers and traders. Willy Lay is one of them, who exporters. runs his family business in Belu. Practices In the marketing process, those who of negotiation are often in this exchange. are involved make an agreement in which There is no local government’s the sellers and buyers agree for a certain intervention in this exchange. The price. Despite the official price per government only controls the standard kilogram, they negotiate for the price they price to the local farmers, although in agree with. This negotiation for a certain practices, negotiation and agreement could price reflects practices that could be said be made by farmers and traders. The as a cartel, which controls the price. This central government provides a shipment negotiation creates non-competitive prices facility (Tol Laut) to the unreached place to made by business people by looking at encourage the economic exchange and chances and public demands. shipment of goods and commodities, There are three kinds of marketing. which in this case is from Belu in First, selling cattle for a traditional Island to the outside region. ceremony, such as wedding and funeral Local traders take advantage of the ceremonies. This kind of exchange is made facility of Tol Laut to ship their goods, based on negotiation and agreement, in which in this case is cattle. They buy the which the buyer and seller negotiate for a products from local farmers and export certain price depending on the size of the them with Tol Laut to the outside region. It cow. The one with medium size costs is an expectation in which the government approximately IDR 4-7 million. In some hopes Tol Laut can help local traders to cases, the buyer and seller agree for run heir business and grow another monthly installment payment. business from the West Tasifeto District. Second, selling cattle for the slaughterhouse, in which the cows have CONCLUSION been bought from local farmers through In developing local commodity of brokers, then, slaughtered and distributed cattle farming in the West Tasifeto, there to traditional marketplaces. The system of are power relations configured and played exchange is also the same, in which the by political elites, bureaucracy, business, buyer and seller negotiate and make an who have their interests and affect each agreement for a certain price. In some other.

16 JPPUMA: Jurnal Ilmu Pemerintahan dan Sosial Politik UMA (Journal of Governance and Political Social UMA), 8(1) (2020): 9-17. In the legislation process of local Creswell, W. J. (2014). Research Design (edisi 4). regulation, power has been used to impose Yogjakarta: pustaka pelajar. Darmanto. (2016). Menejemen Pemasaran Untuk political bureaucratic and economic Mahasiswa, Usaha Mikro Kecil dan Menengah. interests. The farming area or sonis laloran Yogjakarta: Budi Utama. has been made by local regulation No. 6 of Darmo, P. (2019). Partsipasi Masyarakat Dalam 2011, chapter 5, article 29, paragraph 1 Pembentukan Peraturan Daerah Oleh DPRD (d), which can be said as a product of Dan Pemerintah Kabupaten Propinsi Jawa Tengah (1st ed.). Yogjakarta: Budi Utama. politics. Hoogerwerf. (1972). politicologie:begrippen en The establishment of sonis laloran is a problem. alpena: samson uitgeverij. manifestation of land-use change, from Kamahi, U. (2017). Teori Kekuasaan Michel traditional land (Tanah Ulayat) to become Foucault: Tantangan Bagi Sosiologi Politik. a farming area with economic interests to Jurnal Al-Khitaba, III, 117–133. Kusuma, L. (2013). Memahami Pengertian Kartel, expand cattle farming. In this shift, the Monopoli dan Persaingan Usaha. Retrieved local community and government have from leo4kusuma.blogspot.com formed power relations, such as in Miriam, B. (2008). Dasar-Dasar Ilmu Politik (Edisi transferring the land, which is connected Revi). Jakarta: Gramedia. to organizing a political campaign for the Mudhoffir, A. M. (2013). Teori Kekuasaan Michel Foucault: Tantangan bagi Sosiologi Politik. local election in 2015. Sosiologi Masyarakat, 18, 75–100. The local community in the West Neno, Y. (2015). konsep kekuasaan menurut Tasifeto do not take maximum advantages michaelfoucault. Kompasiana. Retrieved from the expansion of the cattle farm due from to ineffective marketing. https://www.kompasiana.com/frenofile.co m/556085a67193731e0d8b456a/konsep- kekuasaan-menurut-michael-foucault ACKNOWLEDGMENT PERDA. (2011). Peraturan Daerah Kabupaten Belu The author thanks everyone who has Nomor 6 Tahun 2011. assisted this research and in writing the Surbakti, R. (1992). Memahami Ilmu Politik (edisi manuscript of this article. pert). Jakarta: Gramedia. Wardah, F. (2013). Mantan Presiden PKS Divonis 16 Tahun Penjara. VOA News. Retrieved from BIBLIOGRAPHY https://www.voaindonesia.com/a/mantan- BPS. (2019). Populasi Sapi Potong menurut presiden-pks-divonis-16-tahun- Provinsi, 2009-2018. Retrieved from penjara/1806711.html https://www.bps.go.id/linkTableDinamis/vi ew/id/1016

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